Fluid valving spark plug



June 23, 1959 F. E. OWEN FLUID VALVING SPARK PLUG Filed Dec. 16, 1958 [gent-9x06 E: 01445 IN V EN TOR. BY ///-z%/ Patented June 23, 1959 2,892,112 FLUID VALVINGSPARK' PLUG Frederick E. Owen, Whittier, Calif. Application December 16 19518, SerialNo. 780,303 Claims. (Cl. 313-115) This invention relates generally to fluid valving spark plugs capable of passing fluid, preferably a lubricant and having solvent properties, through the plug for dissolving carbon deposits on the portion of the electrode exposed to the cylinder and also to the engine upper cylinder walls, while at the same time operating as a conventional spark plug. More particularly, the invention has to do with certain improvements inthis form of plug characterizedas keeping the plug as cool as possible, and also more reliable in its operation insofar as its electrical current transmissionis concerned.

It is the principal object ofthe present invention to provide in a fluid valving spark plug, and in combination therewith, a metallicelectrode in the upper portion of the plug, the electrode being of such composition and com struction in relation to the port. formed by the insulator within which the electrode extends that little or no heat is generated in the electrode in response to the-passage of electrical ignition current. therethrough, and so that the electrode is cooled by the down-flow of fluid thereabout through the port. As opposed to this principal object, it is commonly the practice to provide spark plugs with electrodes which are made of a current resistive type material which resists the flow of. electricity thereby causing heat generation within the plug. In the present novel plug the electrode means. consists of essentially non-resistive metal, eliminating resistive heating and thereby reducing the tendency toward pre-ignition.

The upper electrode is particularly constructed in relation to a lower or valving electrode which has an upper valve stem received in a recess formed in the lower end of the upper electrode, providing a guide for vertical reception of the electrode, all as will be described. Other objects of the invention include the provision of'electrically conductive means above the upper electrode and in engagement therewith to keep the upper electrode in fixed position in the upper port, the conductive means containing a passage for conducting fluid to the upper ort. p These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation taken in sectionthrough a spark plug showing the valving electrode in a downward position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the valving electrode in up position; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The spark plug generally indicated at 10 includes a metal jacket 11 having a reduced size lower end portion 12 threaded for reception in an engine cylinder head spark plug opening, with an L-shapednegative electrode 13 exposed to the engine cylinder interior. Received within and centered by a tapered socket 14 in the jacket is an insulator plug 16, typically consisting of porcelain, the insulator plug lower portion tapering downwardly and terminating within the taperedbore 15 of the jacket at its lower end.

The upper end 17 of the plug 16 is flat and extends horizontally so as to be received flatly against the horizontal lower end 18 of a vertically elongated upper insulator or porcelain generally indicated at 19. Thus, the insulator plug 16 fully supports the upper porcelain insulator with respect to a common vertical axis, the enlarged base of the upper porcelain being spaced from a larger bore 20 formed in the jacket 11. The area and thickness of the porcelains 16 and 19 at the interengagement surfaces 17 and 18 insures against leakage of fluid therebetween from a central chamber 21 formed by the two insulators and also prevents jumping of a spark from the vertically reciprocable lower valving electrode 22 to the jacket 11. The upper insulator or porcelain 19 is held in downward seating position against the lower porcelain by a retaining sleeve nut 23 threaded downwardly into the jacket bore, the lower end of the nut urging a pressure ring 24- against a tapered shoulder 25 formed on the enlarged base of the upper porcelain 19. Tightening of the nut also establishes a seal as between the lower porcelain 16 and the tapered socket 14 of the jacket 1l,sin ce the force of tightening is transmitted from ring 24 to the enlarged base of the upper porcelain 19 and then to the lower porcelain which engages the socket 14.

The chamber 21 has a cylindrical bore 26 formed by both porcelains 19 and 16. In addition, the chamber includes a frustro-conical taper 27 in the upper porcelain adapted to seat centrally a frustro-conical portion 28 of the lower electrode valving head 29 when the latter is in up position. The shoulder 30 at the lower end of the chamber 21 annularly seats the bottom of the valving head 29 when the latter is in down. position, the up and down travel of the head being desirably kept small and only suflicient to permit required volumetric flow of fluid downwardly past the head. The complete electrode 22 includes in addition to the head 29. a relatively long lower stem 31 extending downwardly through an axial port 32 in the lower porcelain 16 and projecting outside the plug at 33 to form a spark gap 34 with the negative electrode 13 Vertically reciprocable electrode 22 also includes a much shorter upper stem 35 extending upwardly through and into a relatively enlarged bore 36 extending axially within the upper porcelain 19. The lower end of the port 36 is constricted at 37 to provide the, frustro-conical seat 27 previously described.

Upper stem 35 is received in a guide recess 38 formed in the lower end of an axially elongated upper electrode 39 which is centered within and extends throughout the major vertical extent of the port 36, electrode 39 being spaced from the port wall 40, as illustrated. The upper electrode 39 is not reciprocable, but is held in centered position by an electrode flange 41 engaging a shoulder 42 formed at the upper end portion of the porcelain 19. Furthermore, the flange 41 is centered by a counterbore 43 in the upper porcelain. Electrically conductive threaded insert fastener 44 is screwed downwardly into the upper end of the porcelain 19 against-the flange 41 to retain it in the position shown, the insert fastener containing a bore or passage 45 for flowing fluid downwardly from a conduit 46 threaded into the fastener through a perforation 47 in the flange 41 and thence to the port 36. Detachably secured to the insert fastener 44 is an electrical terminal 48 for supplying ignition current to the spark plug electrodes.

In operation, when the combustion gas pressure in the engine cylinder, not shown, is at a maximum and is transmitted upwardly through the lower port to the valving head 29, the latter is rapidly displaced upwardly against the seat 27 to close off communication between the upper and lower ports 36 and 32. At that time fluid in the chamber 21 flows beneath the valving head toward the lower port 32. Thereafter when suction conditions exist in the engine cylinder'and are transmitted through the port 32 to the valving head a small quantity of fluid in the chamber 21 is sucked downwardly through the port 32 as a finely atomized spray, acting to dissolve deposits formed on the stem projection 33 and electrode 13. At the same time, fluid from port 36 is drawn down into the chamber 21 to be delivered to the port 32 upon the next cycle of reciprocation of the valving electrode. No matter where the moving electrode 22 may be in its travel when current is distributed to the spark plug, current is transmitted to the moving electrode 22 since the upper stem 35 remains in very close proximity to the stationary electrode 39 within the recess 38 or in sliding contact with the recess interior wall.

As described in the introduction, the upper electrode 39 is a good conductor of electricity, it typically comprising aluminum, or a relatively wear resistant high aluminum alloy, so that little heat is generated by current transmission thereto. Furthermore, the entire outer periphery of the upper electrode '39 is washed by the downwardly flowing fluid lubricant-solvent which acts to cool the electrode 39. As a result, the entire upper portion of the spark plug remains cool both internally and externally, during plug operation, and therefore malfunctioning of the valving electrode due to heating of the upper electrode 39 is non-existent. Preferably, the upper stem of the valving electrode is also a good conductor of electricity, and is tpyically made of aluminum or a wear resistant high aluminum alloy, for the same reasons. One usable wear resistant aluminum alloy having an electrical conductivity about 40% that of pure copper, contains 7.0% silicon, 0.2% magnesium and 92.8% aluminum.

I claim:

1. In a fluid valving spark plug including vertically elongated insulator means forming a valve chamber and upper and lower ports respectively extending axially within the insulator means, a lower valving electrode including a valve head axially reciprocable in the chamber in response to pressure changes communicated thereto through said lower port to control fluid flow downwardly from said upper to said lower port, said electrode including upper and lower valve stems loosely received respectively in said upper and lower ports with the lower stem exposed at the lowermost extent of said insulator means, and means supporting said insulator means and forming a spark gap with the exposed lower stem, the improvement that comprises an elongated metallic upper electrode extending axially through out the major extent of said upper port in spaced relation to the port wall so that said fluid may flow downward within said space and about the upper electrode, the lower end of said upper electrode having a recess receiving said upper stem for axial reciprocation therein and said upper electrode being a good electrical conductor, whereby little heat is generated in the upper electrode in response to the passage of electrical ignition current therethrough and said electrodes are cooled by said downward flow of fluid thereabout.

2. In a fluid valving spark plug including vertically elongated insulator means forming a valve chamber and upper and lower ports respectively extending axially within the insulator means, a lower valving electrode including a valve head axially reciprocable in the chamber in response to pressure changes communicated thereto through said lower port to control fluid flow downwardly from said upper to said lower port, said electrode including upper and lower valve stems loosely received respectively in said upper and lower ports with the lower stern exposed at the lower most extent of said insulator means, and means supporting said insulator means and forming a spark gap with the exposed lower stem, the improvement that comprises an elongated metallic upper electrode extending axially throughout the major extent of said upper port in spaced relation to the port wall so that said fluid may flow downward within said space and about the upper electrode, electrically conductive means above said upper electrode and in engagement therewith to keep the upper electrode in said upper port, said conductive means containing a passage for passing fluid to said upper port, the lower end of said upper electrode having a recess receiving said upper stem for axial reciprocation therein and said upper electrode being a good electrical conductor, whereby little heat is generated in the upper electrode in response to the passage of electrical ignition current therethrough and said electrodes are cooled by said downward flow of fluid thereabout.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 in which said upper electrode has a perforated flange engaged by said conductive means, the flange perforation being in fluid flow passing communication with said passage and said upper port.

. 4. The invention as defined in claim 2 in which said upper electrode consists primarily of aluminum.

. 5.,An improved fluid valving spark plug, comprising vertically elongated insulator means forming a valve chamber and upper and lower ports respectively extending-axially within the insulator means, a lower valving electrode including a valve head axially reciprocable in the chamber in response to pressure changes communicated thereto through said lower port to control fluid flow downwardly from said upper to said lower port, said electrode including upper and lower valve stems received respectively in said upper and lower ports with the lower stem exposed at the lowermost extent of. said insulator means, means supporting said insulator means and forming a spark gap with the exposed lower stem, and an elongated metallic upper electrode extending axially throughout the major extent of said upper port in spaced relation to the port wall so that said fluid may flow downward within said space and about the upper electrode, the lower end of said upper electrode having a recess receiving said upper stem for axial reciprocation therein, and said upper electrode being a good electrical conductor whereby little heat is generated in the upper electrode in response to the passage of electrical ignition current therethrough and said electrodes are cooled by said downward flow of fluid thereabout.

6. An improved fluid valving spark plug, comprising vertically elongated insulator means forming a valve chamber. and upper and lower ports respectively extending axially within the insulator means, a lower valving electrode including a valve head axially reciprocable in the chamber in response to pressure changes communicated thereto through said lower port to control fluid flow downwardly from said upper to said lower port, said electrode including upper and lower valve stems received respectively in said upper and lower ports with the lower stem exposed at the lowermost extent of said insulator means, means supporting said insulator means and forming a spark gap with the exposed lower stem, and an elongated metallic upper electrode extending axially throughout the major extent of said upper port in spaced relation to the port wall so that said fluid may flow downward within said space and about the upper electrode, electrically conductive means above said upper electrode and in engagement therewith to keep the upper electrode in said upper port, said conductive means containing a passage for passing fluid to said upper port, the lower end of said upper electrode having'a recess receiving said upper stem for axial reciprocation therein and said upper electrode being a good electrical conductor, whereby little heat is generated in the upper electrode in response to the passage of electrical ignition current therethrough and said electrodes are cooled by said downward flow of fluid thereabout.

gated insulators, said means supporting the insulators in- 10 cludes a metal jacket mounting the lower insulator and a sleeve nut screwed downwardly into the jacket and acting to clamp the upper insulator downwardly against the lower insulator, said upper electrode extending downwardly below the top level of said sleeve nut.

10. The invention as defined in claim 5 in which the upper stem of said lower electrode is a good conductor of electricity.

No references cited. 

